Facing a deficit, Malloy's next two-year budget will increase spending

Based on current spending the state is expected to have a built-in $2.2 billion budget deficit over the next two years, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Friday that the budget he will present to the General Assembly on Wednesday will include a spending increase.

"Yeah. That would be correct," Malloy said in answer to a question about whether the new budget will increase spending.

"But we are going to present a balanced budget with no tax increases," Malloy insisted. "And we are going to support programs that are most likely to produce a growing economy in the future."

He was talking about plans like the one he announced last week regarding the University of Connecticut. Malloy wants to invest $1.54 billion in bonding over the next 10 years in the state's flagship university to improve facilities and expand enrollment 30 percent. That includes an additional $286 million in annual spending on salaries for 259 new professors.

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"Listen, Connecticut is not going to move forward doing the same things that we did unsuccessfully for 22 years," Malloy said Friday. "This is a big idea."